Means and mechanism for the remote control of outboard motors



March 1955 s. E. SCHROEDER 2,703,989

MEANS AND MECHANISM FOR THE REMOTE CONTROL OF OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed June 11, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet l A; A 57 A a fi W 15144 -7 z I 6 O 17 J a March 15, 1955 s. E. SCHROEDER 2,703,989

MEANS AND MECHANISM FOR THE REMOTE CONTROL OF OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed June 11, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 15, 1955 5 E SCHROEDER 2,703,989

MEANS AND MECHANISM FOR THE REMOTE CONTROL OF OUTBOARD MOTORS 4 Sheets-Shea; 3

Filed June 11, 1952 March 15, 1955 s. E. SCHROEDER MEANS AND MECHANISM FOR THE REMOTE CONTROL OF OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed June IT, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1720a Qnwn, 66%

United States Patent MEANS AND MECHANISM FOR THE REMOTE CONTROL OF OUTBOARD MOTORS Simon E. Schroeder, Oshkosh, Wis.

Application June 11, 1952, Serial No. 292,854

8 Claims. (Cl. 74-472) The present invention relates to outboard motors and especially to a novel control mechanism and manner of controlling the operation of the outboard motor from a remote position in the boat.

The present invention comprehends the provision of a novel remote control assembly whereby the operator may from a forward position in the boat readily and most effectively control the operation of the throttle of an outboard motor as well as control shifting of the gears to effect forward, neutral and reverse operation of the motor, all remote from the usual control mechanism with which the motor is equipped for operation from the rear of the boat. By means of this novel control assembly, the operator of an outboard motor boat may either operate the motor direct from the stem or rear of the boat or he may operate it from a position remote therefrom or from the bow of the boat, as desired.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a novel means and mechanism for quickly and positively adjusting the spark and fuel supply of an outboard motor boat from a position remote from the motor and whereby the operator may readily control operation of the motor either directly from the motor through the control mechanism with which such motors are equipped or from the front of the boat through actuation of the present novel control mechanism.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel remote control for shifting the gears of an outboard motor boat and which may be applied to the motor and boat without altering the gear shift control with which such motors are initially equipped, whereby the operator has the choice of operating the motor direct from the stern of the boat or from the bow, whichever is most convenient from his position in the boat.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a novel attachment for outboard motor boats for converting the usual throttle and gear shift controls operable from the motor at the rear of the boat to remote control operation.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efliciency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective of an outboard motor boat in which the motor is equipped with the novel means and mechanism for controlling it from the bow or a position in the boat remote from the motor, as well as from the stern by means of the controls with which such motors are initially equipped.

Fig. 2 is another view in perspective of the outboard motor to which has been assembled the present novel remote control mechanism, the view showing the side of the motor opposite to that disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a phantom view of an outboard motor and showing in side elevation a portion of the mechanism for controlling the throttle and spark and also the gear shift and clutch operating mechanism for shifting the motor drive into forward, neutral or reverse positions.

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the connecting assembly and supporting bracket for remote actuation of the gear shift and clutching mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in horizontal cross section of the novel clutch and gear shift control mechanism, the view being taken on the irregular line 5-5 of Fig. 6 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

2,703,989 Patented Mar. 15, 1955 Fig. 6 is a view in vertical cross section taken on the irregular line 6--6 of Fig. 5 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a view, part in vertical cross section and part in side elevation, of the gear shift and clutch-operating handle for shifting the gears to forward, neutral and reverse positions. I

Fig. 8 is a view, part in side elevation and part in perspective, of the present novel mechanism for simultaneoticsly controlling the throttle or fuel supply and the spar Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross section taken on the lines 99 of Figs. 8 and 10 and viewed in the direction of the arrows, the view showing in side or front elevation the novel attachment for remotely con trolling the gas or fuel supply and the spark for the motor.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in horizontal cross section taken substantially in a plane represented by the line 1010 of Fig. 8 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 11 is a view in vertical cross section taken in a plane represented by the line 1111 of Fig. 10 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 12 is a view in perspective of the supporting bracket and the shaft carrying the pulley wheel for controlling rotation of the spark plate.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings and to the novel illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the novel remote control mechanism is adapted to effectively control the operation of an outboard motor 10 from the bow of the boat 11 or from a position remote from the motor or from the rear or stern of the boat.

The present novel control attachment comprises a housing 12 suitably mounted in the boat 11 at a forward position adjacent the steering wheel 13. This housing is provided with a pair of control handles 14 and 15, the handle 14 controlling the remote shifting of the clutch of the motor drive to forward, neutral and reverse positions and the handle 15 remotely controlling the throttle which in turn controls both the fuel supply and the spark in the assembly 16 shown adjacent the upper portion of Fig. 3. These handles are connected to control or actuating rods 17 and 18, respectively, through suitable gearing or operating mechanism in the housing 12 such as that disclosed in my copending patent application Serial No. 260,013, filed December 5, 1951.

Rotation of the handle 14 to the limit of its movement in one direction rotates its gear shift control rod 17 to cause the boat to be driven forwardly, and rotating or moving the handle 14 to the limit of its movement in the opposite direction causes the boat to operate or be driven in reverse. Moving this handle to an intermediate or substantially vertical position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, disposes the clutch and drive mechanism in neutral position. Rotation of the handle 15 controls operation of the throttle control rod 18 which controls both the fuel supply and the spark in a manner to be described.

Both the gearshift control rod 17 and the throttle control rod 18 extend rearwardly along the interior of the boat 10 from the control housing 12 (Fig. 1) with the rear end of each rod received and journalled in a connecting block or connector 19 suitably afiixed to the side or accessible portion of the boat forwardly of the transom 20 on which the motor is mounted. The rear end of the gear shift control rod 17 and the throttle control rod 18 are connected to one end of flexible cables 21 contained within flexible tubes or conduits 22 and 22- (Figs. 1, 2 and 3).

The flexible cable 21 connected at one end to the gear shift control rod 17 is provided at its other end with a tongue 23 for detachable connection to the slotted end 24 of a gear control stub shaft 25 (Fig. 5) having its opposite ends journalled in a housing 26. The end of the flexible cable connected to the shaft 25 is journalled in a threaded connector or plug 27. To the inner end of the stub shaft 25 is pinned or keyed a bevel gear 28 in continuous meshing engagement with a larger bevel gear 29 pinned or keyed to a transverse stub shaft 30 having one end journalled in a plug 31. This latter stub shaft 30 has keyed or affixed thereto a pinion or gear 32 in meshing engagement with and reciprocating a rack bar 33 movable in a slot 34 in the housing Connected by a cotter pin or the like to the inner end of this reciprocating rack bar 33 is one of the bent ends 35 of a rod or link 36 with the other bent end 35* thereof similarly connected to oscillate a clip 37 atfixed by a bolt or screw or the like 38 to the hollow or cupped rear face of a control handle or shift lever 39 for moving the gear shift to forward, neutral or reverse positions. This handle or shift lever may thus be manually moved or actuated from its neutral or vertical position by the operator from the stern or rear of the boat to drive the propeller shaft in the desired direction or maintained in inoperative or neutral position, or it may be remotely controlled by the present invention by means of the control handle 14 located forwardly in the boat through movement of the reciprocating rack bar 33 and connected rod or link 36.

The handle 39 and clip 37 are pivotally mounted about the bolt or screw 38 to a bracket extension 26 on the housing 26. Affixed to the lower end of the control handle or shift lever 39 by a pin 40 projecting through the motor casing or shroud A (Fig. 7) is one end of a link 41, the other end of this link being connected to and raising and lowering a section 42 of a connecting rod 43 resiliently joined or connected to a section 42 of this rod (Fig. 3). The lower end of the rod 43 is pivotally connected to one end of a bellcrank 44, the other end of the bellcrank being connected to and adapted to move a clutch member 45 splined to and slidable on a driven propeller shaft 46 for driving the propeller 47.

Upon the propeller shaft 46 is loosely mounted a pair of spaced, opposed gears 48 and 49 in continuous meshing engagement with a bevel gear 51 on the depending vertical drive shaft 52 of the motor 10. It will thus be seen that so long as the motor is operating, the shaft 52 rotates and drives the gear 51 which in turn rotates the meshing bevel gears 48 and 49, but as these gears are free to rotate on the driven propeller shaft 46 except when clutched thereto, the propeller shaft re mains stationary until one or the other of the opposed driven gears 48 or 49 is clutched to the driven shaft by the clutch member 45 splined to the driven shaft 46 but adapted to rotate this driven shaft when the clutch member is moved to the right or left from its central or neutral position shown in Fig. 3. To permit such driving relation, each bevel gear 48 and 49 is provided with a clutch face adapted to be engaged by an adjacent, complementary clutch face on each of the opposite ends of the clutch member 45 when the latter is moved to the right or left by means of the bellcrank 44. This bellcrank which is pivotally connected at one end 53 to the lower end of the connecting rod 43 is bodily pivoted about a fixed pin 54 and is provided at its other end 55 with a pin or projection seating in an annular groove or recess 56 in the clutch member 45.

Although the control handle or shift lever 39 and the above recited associated clutch mechanism for shifting the clutch member 45 and driving either clutched gear 48 or 49 from the motor drive shaft 52 are conventional and enclosed with the motor housing or shroud A, the present mechanism for the remote control thereof is novel and comprehended by the present disclosure and invention. From the above disclosure it will be apparent that clutching and shifting of the clutching mechanism and operation of the motor to propel the boat or to retain the drive mechanism in neutral position, may be directly accomplished from the rear or stem of the boat by manually moving the handle or shift lever 39 to forward, neutral or reverse positions, but by means of the present novel remote control assembly the operator or occupant of the boat may control operation of the handle or shift lever 39 from the bow or from a forward position in the boat by operating or rotating the control handle 14.

By moving or rotating the control handle 15 from the front or bow of the boat, remote throttle control may be effected. As shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 8 to 12 inclusive, manual control of the throttle for simultaneously controlling the fuel supply and the spark in an outboard motor is accomplished from the rear or stern of the boat by a steering control handle 57 shown in its raised position in Fig. l and in its lowered and normally operative position in Fig. 2. The outer end or hand grip portion 58 of this handle is rotatable and adapted to rotate a stub shaft 59 (Fig. 10) carrying a bevel gear 61 maintained in meshing engagement with a bevel gear 62 fixed to a throttle control rod or shaft 63 journalled in a housing 60 for simultaneously controlling the fuel as well as the spark. These bevel gears 61 and 62 are so constructed and arranged as to be maintained in meshing engagement regardless of the position of the handle 57. Secured to the other end of the throttle control rod or shaft 63 by a clamp memher 64 is a pulley 65 about which extends a cable 66. This cable extends over a horizontally disposed sheave 67 and over pulleys 68 and 69 mounted upon a stationary bracket 71 suitably fixed and held upon the motor housing. The opposite ends of this cable are connected by a flexible connection 72 (see Fig. 8) for maintaining the cable taut and adjusting the sheave 67 under operating conditions.

In the novel attachment for the remote control and turning of this sheave 67 by the cable 66 to adjust the fuel supply and spark, the present invention comprehends the provision of a housing 73 in which is journalled a shaft 74 adapted to be connected to an end of a flexible cable 21 in the flexible tube or conduit 22 This end of the cable is journalled in a threaded connector or plug 75 and provided with a tongue 76 for detachable connection to the slotted end 77 of the shaft 74. The threaded connector or plug 75 is adapted to be threaded into a threaded bore 78 of the housing 73. Mounted on the opposite end of the shaft 74 is a pinion 79 in meshing engagement with a mutilated gear 81 which is fixed or secured to the pulley 65 by screws or other attaching means.

To control the spark and fuel supply of the motor 10, this motor is provided with a conventional armature plate 82 (Fig. 3) with its edge or periphery contoured to provide a cam surface 83. This plate 82 remains stationary except when rotated through a limited arc to adjust the spark by rotation of the sheave 67 affixed to the lower surface of the plate and rotated by the cable 66 (Fig. 8), and forms the base of an enclosing housing with the magneto and fly-wheel assembly 84. This housing encloses the conventional ignition system 85 in the manner shown in my Patent No. 2,508,803, of May 23, 1950.

The cam surface 83 on the edge or periphery of the armature plate 82 is engaged by a pivotally mounted arm providing a cam follower 86 (Fig. 3) held in contact with the cam surface by a spring 87 whereby adjustment of the plate to thereby adjust the spark is communicated through this cam follower and a connector 88 to a link 89 for adjusting the throttle valve 90 of the carburetor 91.

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawings, it will be apparent that the present invention comprehends a novel remote control mechanism in the form of an attachment adapted for ready attachment to outboard motors with the controls therefor located forwardly of the stern and motor or in the bow of the boat whereby the outboard motor may be operated as effectively as an inboard motor but, in addition, permitting instantaneous operation from either the bow or stern. By this novel construction and arrangement, the attachment in nowise affects the usual hand controls for controlling the shifting of gears, the spark and fuel supply and for steering with which these outboard motors are equipped, so that the operator has the choice of operating the motor either from the bow or from the stern of the boat, or such control and operation of the motor may be alternated between a person remote from the motor and another person at the stern of the boat without delay and without any disconnection of parts or involving any preliminary effort.

Having thus disclosed the invention, 1 claim:

1. In combination, an outboard motor having control means provided with a single operating handle on the motor for simultaneously controlling the fuel supply and spark and other control means for controlling the shifting of gears to forward, neutral or reverse, mechanism associated with the means for controlling the fuel supply and spark to effect remote control thereof, and mechanism associated with the means for shifting the gears to etfect remote control thereof, each of said mechanisms having an actuating member spaced from said first mentioned control means, and a control rod and cable for connecting each actuating member to its respective control means, said mechanisms permitting operation of either control means or either remote control mechanism, as desired.

2. In a dual control device operable from adjacent the front seat of an outboard motor boat and readily attached to and detached from the motor, comprising a pair of attachments secured to the motor each provided with a housing mounted at the opposite sides of the motor, a control unit mounted in the boat adjacent the front seat and means including a system of gears in each housing for connecting the control unit to the throttle and to the gear shift of the motor whereby the operation of the throttle and of the gear shift is remotely controlled by the control unit.

3. In combination with an outboard motor having means including a control handle on the motor for controlling the throttle and other means including a control handle on the motor for controlling the shifting of the gears to forward, reverse or neutral position, a dual control assembly operable from adjacent the front seat of an outboard motor boat for remotely controlling the throttle and for remotely controlling the shifting of the gears, said control assembly including mechanism attached to and carried by the motor and provided with gearing connected to each of said control means for operating the same, a dual control unit mounted in the boat adjacent the front seat and means connecting the dual control unit to the gearing of said mechanism and to the throttle and gear shift of the motor whereby the operation of the throttle and gear shift is remotely controlled by the control unit.

4. In combination, an outboard motor having a control unit provided with a handle for controlling the throttle and steering of the boat on which the motor is mounted and a control unit provided with a handle for controlling the shifting of the gears to forward, reverse or neutral position, both of said units being mounted on and operated from the motor at the rear of the boat, and remote control mechanism associated with each control unit for actuating these units from a position adjacent the frontof the boat and remote from the motor, and including a housing mounted at one side of the boat and having a manually operable handle, a connection therefrom and a system of gears connected to the throttle control unit for controlling the speed of the boat and a second manually operable handle, a connection therefrom and a system of gears connected to the gear shift control unit for controlling the shifting of the gears.

5. In combination, an outboard motor having a pair of manual controls operable directly upon the motor at the rear of the boat and one of which simultaneously controls the fuel supply and spark and the other the shifting of the gears, and means for remotely operating said controls, said means including a dual control unit mounted in the boat forwardly and remote from the motor and the first mentioned manual controls whereby said controls may be operated either at the motor or remote therefrom, and an attachment adjacent each manual control on the motor and each attachment connected to said control unit for the remote operation of the manual controls from the control unit, said attachments each comprising a housing having a shaft journalled therein, a cable attached at one end to said shaft and at its other end to the dual control unit for rotating said shaft from said unit, and a gear on said shaft in meshing engagement with and rotating a gear connected to a manual control on the motor.

6. Remote control mechanism for outboard motors of the type in which the motor is provided with a handoperated control at one side of the motor for manually controlling the throttle and steering of the boat and a hand-operated control at the other side of the motor for manually controlling the gear shift and each operable from the rear of the boat, comprising an assembly having a housing attached to each of the opposite sides of the motor and gear-actuated means in each housing and connected to its control for controlling each of these controls from adjacent the front of the boat and remote from the motor, and means adjacent the front of the boat connected to each gear-actuated means for adjustment of the throttle and for shifting of the gears whereby themotor may be operated at either the rear or front of the boat.

7. In combination with an outboard motor having means on the motor at the rear of the boat for controlling the throttle and other means on the motor at the rear of the boat for controlling the shifting of the gears to forward, reverse or neutral position, said control means being normally operated by the operator directly from the motor, remote control mechanism actuated by the operator from a position remote from the rear of the boat and motor for operating the throttle control means and the gear shift control means, including a housing affixed to the motor adjacent each control means, and operating mechanism in each housing connecting each of said control means to the remote control mechanism for effecting remote control and operation of either the throttle control means or the gear shift control means.

8. In combination, an outboard motor for a boat with the motor having a single control means for simultaneously controlling the fuel supply and spark and other control means for controlling the shifting of gears to forward, neutral or reverse, each control means having a handle on the motor to be grasped by the operator and manipulated for normal operation of the motor directly from the stern of the boat, a dual control system for attachmentgto the boat and motor; and operable from a position in the boat remote from "the motor, comprising a housing attached to the side of the motor adjacent the control means for shifting the gears, mechanism in said housing connected to and actuating the handle of said control means for shifting the gears and including a rack bar connected to the handle and gearing adapted to move the rack bar and handle in the desired direction, and means remote from the motor for operating said mechanism to move the handle to its adjusted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,209,335 Richardson Dec. 19, 1916 2,234,019 Bragg Mar. 4, 1941 2,323,619 Panish July 6, 1943 

